[ad_1]
The retail giants have shown they are useful for more than just home hardware. It was revealed that Home Depot cooperated in an investigation which led to a pastor reportedly at the head of a crime ring being tracked down.
In a story that sounds like something from a true crime podcast, a man who was viewed as a pillar of his local community is facing decades behind bars for his alleged role in a nefarious scheme involving Home Depot.
Home Depot reportedly tracked down a crime ring
When one thinks of high-end crime and felony-level theft, it’s probably unlikely that your brain associates such activities with the likes of Home Depot.
But, as it transpires, the handy homeware house has helped to track down an alleged organized crime ring worth millions of dollars. Assisting authorities in Florida over the course of a six-month investigation, Home Depot documented the losses associated with theft at a minimum of $1.4 million.
It was found a former Pinellas County pastor, Robert Dell, had reportedly been in charge of multiple associates within a crime ring. The ring had assisted him in stealing from various local Home Depot branches for as long as a decade.
Dell, who is believed to have ordered his associates into the store as many as six or seven times a day, was working as a pastor and as the director of a halfway house. The service provided for people overcoming drug addiction whilst the crime ring was reportedly in operation.
Pastor reportedly made millions
According to the office of the Attorney General for the state of Florida, Ashley Moody, Dell would proceed to list the stolen items on eBay.
While the chain reported a loss of $1.4 million during the sixth-month investigation, reports claim Home Depot believes the true figure associated with Dell’s alleged crimes to be in excess of $5 million.
Failing to mince her words in a statement released in August, Attorney Moody said of Dell: “This pastor clearly skipped over the commandment—thou shall not steal.”
Pastor faces serious charges
Should he be found guilty of any of the three charges he is facing, it looks as though Dell will face a rather lengthy prison sentence.
Though no court date has been publically announced at the time of writing, Dell will eventually be tried for charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and dealing in stolen property as an organizer – all of which are felonies.
According to a defense lawyer in Tampa Bay, racketeering alone can carry a 30-year sentence as it is a violation of the RICO Act – not to mention a fine of up to triple the damages you owe, meaning the ex-pastor could be facing not just a lengthy spell behind bars, but a rather large outgoing cheque too.
Dell was arrested alongside his mother, Karen, and his wife, Jaclyn, who have received felony charges of dealing in stolen property and conspiracy to commit racketeering, respectively.
Related Topics
[ad_2]
Deja una respuesta